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Topic: A chat with new girl Jordan Nobbs... (Read 1151 times)

Please note: This interview first appeared in the November 2010 issue of Arsenal's Official Magazine.

ARSENAL LADIES’ EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR SQUAD FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND SUPER LEAGUE JOURNEYS AHEAD HAVE SEEN SOME HIGHLY PROMISING YOUNG TALENT JOIN LAURA HARVEY’S SQUAD OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS – AND THIS MONTH WE CATCH UP WITH A SHINING EXAMPLE AT JUST 17, JORDAN NOBBS ALREADY HAS A WEALTH OF TOP-FLIGHT AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE, AND IS CITED AS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING PLAYERS OF HER GENERATION. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE MIDFIELDER TO FIND OUT HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING SINCE HER BIG MOVE DOWN SOUTH FROM HOMETOWN CLUB SUNDERLAND .

Jordan, coming down to Arsenal was a big move for a 17 year-old – how are you enjoying it so far?

Very much! I’m just getting into the swing of everything, but the training is obviously the best you can get. I was a little nervous, of course, but once you start playing football that goes away. You get a bit apprehensive about starting out and getting to know the girls but they’ve welcomed me really well and I’m really excited about the future.

How did you learn of the Gunners’ interest in your services?

It all came from communication between my manager at Sunderland – Mick Mulhern – and Vic Akers and Laura Harvey. They’re all quite close so that’s how it came about. It then rested on my decision about what to do, and I was delighted to come down.

Can you tell us a little about your career path to date? You’ve done an awful lot for your age...

I started off at Sunderland when I was about eight years old, I briefly went to Middlesbrough but then returned to Sunderland and things went from there. At the age of 12 I was picked for England Under-15s, and my career’s just developed since then. I went through the England ranks at the same time, currently being in the Under-19s, and managed to break into the first-team as well.

Under-15s when you were 12! That’s quite something, especially when you consider how great the physical gap between those ages can often be.

I think I’d only just turned 12 and I was a bit nervous going down there, but it went really well and, touch wood, I’ve continued to develop as a player. When I was 15 I went away with the Under-19s and I pretty much moved between there and the Under-17s. So I’ve always been playing a bit ahead of my age group, which has been good because it makes you a better player. And now, playing at Arsenal with the very best in the business can only help that process.

You’ve also shown yourself to be a bit of a leader on the pitch...

Well, I’ve captained the England Under-15s, Under-17s and now the Under-19s. I don’t know whether there’s a particular reason for that. I’ll admit that I’m talkative on the pitch, a bit of a loudmouth! But really it comes down to what the coaches that and they must have seen something in me. It’s a privilege to captain any team, so I’m just enjoying it.

You’ve also had a couple of seasons’ top-flight experience already – was it a straightforward integration into senior football?

It was very hard at first – Sunderland were struggling for a period and we had to dig ourselves out of it. But I didn’t go into any game thinking it’d be easy, in any case – there were top players in every side and it was also my first year. I was quite young, so I just went out and tried to play to the best of my ability.

And among that was an FA Cup Final against Arsenal themselves in 2008/09! What do you remember of it?

The crowd there was amazing and you just felt “wow”! Playing against Arsenal, for a start, was amazing and for that match to be the FA Cup Final was just unbelievable. Obviously it was disappointing to lose but Arsenal deserved it in the end. The experience was great and very valuable.

We know you’re a talented midfielder, and clearly a bit of a driving force, but how would you describe yourself as a player?

That’s a tough question. I think I’ve got quite a good engine, I always put 100 per cent effort into games and I like to communicate. Of course I need to get better and stronger, and am trying to do that. That improvement will hopefully come through training and playing at Arsenal.

You made your debut in the Champions League away match against ZFK Masinac – quite some situation for your first match!

Yes, I got on in the second half – it was a pretty amazing game to make my debut in and a brand new experience. I never dreamed of being in the Champions League – it was great simply to be there, and to get on was even better. I didn’t think I was too out of place, my performance was alright and I hope to keep improving from here.

It’s likely to be a stop-start few months until the Super League kicks off, isn’t it?

Yes, for the first-team it just means we keep training. Because I’m based with the Academy, though, I get to play matches with them and keep the fitness up. It’s quite a long wait until the new league though – but we’ve got the Champions League and I think the FA Cup starts earlier, so there’s plenty to keep us occupied. And in any case we’ll just keep working hard, developing our fitness to get to where we need to be.

You’re one of a number of highly talented young English players coming through at the moment – the future looks very bright for the women’s game here...

Definitely – women’s football has improved so much. The development’s getting better and better, England teams have been getting into finals and reaching stages that they never used to. Everyone knows they have to step up their game – I’ve certainly got to, because there are great players coming up that are even younger than me and you don’t want to lose out.

Is there the sneaky hope of a place in next year’s senior World Cup squad in the back of your mind?

Right now I’m sticking to what I’m doing, but of course it’s always in your mind – who wouldn’t want to play for the senior team at the World Cup? If I keep progressing then hopefully it’ll happen at some point in the future.

Finally, we assume you’ve a few Mackem tendencies, being Sunderland born and bred?!

Yes, I’m a Sunderland fan – but obviously now I’m rooting for Arsenal too! It was certainly an interesting game between the two teams a few weeks back – Sunderland are usually the ones conceding last-minute goals rather than the other way round!

Note: Jordan’s men’s first-team ‘sponsor’ is Denilson.

Source: The Official Arsenal Magazine – November 2010 Edition.

This interview first appeared in the Official Arsenal Magazine. You can subscribe to the Arsenal Magazine by clicking here or by calling 0845 301 7626. It couldn’t be easier!

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